Solstice
by opshipperondeck
Summary: Alternate universe with Sanji, Nami and his family. Rated T for later chapters, might consider upping it to M though. If I feel that I should give warnings, you will find them in the preface of each chapter. Also, SanjixNami / SaNami / SanNami because I can't help myself.
1. Chapter 1

Alright fellas, the next chapter of Gloomy Days will be taking a little longer because reasons (I wrote them down here, if you care post/159920984615/on-my-own-account ), but that doesn't mean that I stopped writing. What you see here is the first chapter of me trying to go back or rediscover my roots my roots as an amateur author. It's not that evident in the first chapter, admittedly, but it'll be getting better. I hope. And you'll be seeing what I mean. So, what else? It has SaNami in it, because I can't fucking help myself, is set in an alternate universe that is close to ours (Artistic License: History will be put to work a lot) and .. Sanji (the only planned PoV) will be a little out of character, but it'd spoil a lot if I tell you now in which way. Well, anything else .. let me see.

Oh yeah, reading my other fanfics I kinda came to the conclusion that, even if they are basically only about SaNami, I never really let them interact with each other (I mean, they will in the last few chapters of Gloomy Days, but looking at the other two I posted, it's .. really not that much), that changes in this one. Hope that you'll like it (since I'm an antisocial asshole and kinda clueless about this), but even regarding my roots it's .. well, a little uncharted territory for me. Have fun reading it and have fun in general. The world, at least for a libtard like me, is looking really bleak right now (though I have the feeling that it's getting a bit better in Germany) and I desperately hope that someone is enjoying his time.

Disclaimer: One Piece and its characters don't belong to me.

PS: Thanks for all the people reading, liking and reblogging stuff. And, that deserves mentioning, special thanks to the people who sacrifice a little time to comment/review them, no matter if done here, on or archives. Always makes my day.

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Chapter I: On The Road

 _Dearest brother,_

 _We all remember the miserable circumstances that forced our family apart, but many years have passed since these awful times and no one of us can deny that he dearly missed the sight of you at father's funeral. I thought you might have wanted to know that, even after all the trouble and strife mother and he went through, he found his final place of rest right next to her, three years ago. Seeing him pass away made it clear to your brothers and me that we have a duty towards all members of our family to fulfill, to strengthen bonds and not sever._

 _You've been gone for so long, Sanji, and I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't my sincerest wish to see the rest of the family united again, even if just for a few days. And before you ask how I found out your address, what a time to be alive, isn't it?_

 _The internet, cellphones, planes and even good old trains are all human inventions made with the thought in mind to bring humanity closer together. And in these wonderful times, it's no big deal to find out about a handsome and gifted young cook on the internet._

 _I'm so happy for you that you were finally able to settle down and work yourself all the way to the top. I even thought about visiting you at the Baratie, but I didn't know how you'd react. And what would've happened if I just called? I'm very sure that you would have just hung up on me, my dear brother. Thus I started writing this letter, wishing only that you think about my proposal before burning it, I beg of you._

 _Father's passing has shown to us all that life is ephemeral and everybody could go at any time. It would fill my heart with joy to see you again, Sanji, even if it is for the last time. You always were the best of us and I wish to see how you turned out._

 _The family will gather at our old demesne in the North, three weeks from now, arriving on the 20th of December to celebrate Yuletide together. Niji and Yonji will bring their girlfriends with them, and even though Ichiji is still a bachelor, his beautiful secretary, a splendid and resourceful young woman, will accompany him._

 _If there is someone special in your life right now, don't worry: There will be enough space to accommodate everyone._

 _Longing to see this family together again,_

 _Reiju_

 _PS: I enclosed two train tickets for you and your possible company. The train will arrive at around 23:35 if everything goes right and one of us will pick you up._

He read the letter for what felt like the hundredth time. Reiju did sound sincere about her wishing to see the family reunited. That and the fact that, besides his mother, she was the only member of his family he had any fond memories of, heavily influenced him when he made the decision to accept the invitation. Nonetheless, he kept asking himself if it was the right way to go. Over a decade ago, he broke ties with his family for good, a decision forced upon him by his father. _But he's dead now, and every soul deserves peace. Maybe this could actually work out, now that he's gone? And even if not, at least trying it would have made mother happy_ , he told himself. Reading the letter over and over again and justifying his actions with the thought of his mother on his mind occupied most of his travelling time and he was happy about it, in retrospective. The train ride was long and mostly boring since the countryside wasn't something to write home about and he always thought about the North as being cold, rainy and bleak anyway, with dismissive residents to round up the package. _Well, if the shitty weather's anything to go with, this reunion will go down the drain in no time._ , he contemplated while leaving the train at the empty station that was his final destination. It was astounding that a train would actually regularly visit this place. It seemed abandoned, and while a few defunct lights at rail stations were not a rare sight at all, finding a functioning one here felt like a lottery win. He never liked visiting the old manor, even when he was still a child and his mother still around to provide counterweight to his father. The place, he could recall, did seem to drain her energy more than usual and sleep never came easy in the old halls. _For you, mother, I'm giving this a chance._ , he steeled himself and left the station to step out into the heavy rain that was pouring from the heavens. Even though winter and snow should be upon the country in full force, especially so far up north, there was no such thing as a white Christmas this year. Or a white Yuletide or whatever his family was referring to. It didn't make a huge difference, just .. what, three days? He put up his black umbrella when he left the, at least mostly, dry railway building and immediately felt all alone out here. The people on the train were taciturn, but at least they were there. And when he stepped off of it, he could at least spot a lonesome conductor. But out here? There was just a whole lot of nothing inhabited by no one in a perimeter of around ten kilometres. _At least somebody's going to pick me up. Well, somebody_ _ **should**_ _be coming to pick me up. But maybe this is all just a cruel joke, made up by my .. by those guys. I assume that was the last train until tomorrow morning and they'd be laughing quite a lot, knowing that I'm stranded here, in the middle of shitty freaking nowhere._ , the likelyhood of this situation being construed just to mock him sent a fit of rage and heat through his body, but besides clenching his fist in suppressed anger, there wasn't a whole lot that he could do about it. A cab might have been a possibility, but taking him to the nearest hotel would cost a small fortune. Besides that, it was doubtful that there even was a cab or some other kind of public transporation that he could use to solve that problem. _Walking then, maybe?_ , he continued to contemplate after cooling down a bit, coming to the conclusion that walking the way to the nearest hotel would've been an even worse idea than coming here in the first place. If it was at all possible, the rain grew even stronger and the streets around these parts were not reinforced. Within a few meters, he'd be covered in mud from his feet up to his hip. And he didn't really feel like sacrificing his expensive leather shoes for the sake of his pride.

Cooling down had another effect on him though, his senses came back and the surroundings felt even eerier to him than before. The lonely guard was nowhere to be found and the feeling of being isolated in a hostile and uncaring world grew stronger by the minute. The cover of darkness was literally impenetrable and not even the slightest ray of moonlight made its way through the thick, black clouds that had conquered the heavens. Still, there was nothing left to do other than cursing this damned family. He breathed in sharply when familiar sounds reached his ears and broke through the staccato caused by the heavy rain. _A car!_ , he thought, somewhat relieved. Maybe the driver was on his way towards town and would give him a ride for a few bucks. He held out his free hand to hail the driver, as the other one was occupied with his umbrella, and balanced his black suitcase on a raised knee, all the while it seemed that every single drop of rain from all over the world decided to come here for vacations. Sure, he might've looked a little silly, standing there in the rain on just one leg, but he wouldn't risk his suitcase getting soaked. Even the roaring engine of the machine fought a losing battle against all the noise. Nonetheless, the driver did seem to see him as he pulled the car right in front of Sanji. _Holy .. that's one nice car._ , and exactly that it was. The owner seemed to value precision German engineering and craftsmanship and when it came to cars for the higher echelons, one could say that Mercedes was unmatched. _Yeah, well, not the whole truth, but there's some truth to it._ , he silently commented, approaching the window on the driver's side.

His heart made a loud _**thump**_ when the interior lighting of the car was ignited and revealed a single ray of hope, an angel that promised to lead him through this darkest night, no, _a fiery goddess to burn the shadows away_ , he thought. Her gentle, round and maroon-coloured eyes were fixated on him and she finally lowered the window. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea at all to travel to this place?

" _Mademoiselle_ trulyis a sight to behold, thou art so fair, where hast thou been ..", but then she cut him off.

"I take it that you're Sanji?", other than the fact that she interrupted him, there was nothing rude nor unfriendly about the way she talked, and her voice would've made him an obedient slave under literally any other circumstances. Still, his heart grew heavier by the seconds. _She's associated with my family. Great. Yeah, absolutely great. I should've just walked out of here._ , he finally lowered his hand and took hold of the suitcase again.

"I fear that's exactly who I am.", he admitted, feeling as alone as ever. And there it was, just a beacon of light in a night that seemed unending. She smiled at him. Just a normal, casual smile that even total strangers might exchange on their way to work. But seeing it on her face, on her full lips, and extending to her eyes, it could've melted stone or split the mighty mountains in two.

"What are you waiting for, then? Put your case in the trunk and hop in, I'll give you a ride!", and he did as he was told, taking his place on the seat next to her. _And she's even more beautiful when I'm not in the middle of a cloudburst._ , he thought, taking a look at the side of her face. Flawless, beautifully carved. A literal goddess without contest. She even smelled the part, the odour of her parfume told a promising tale of a celestial garden full of tangerines. He gulped when he realised that she caught him staring at her, looking at him with what could have been anticipation. And then it hit him, he was so enchanted by her looks, her smell and her smile - that one somehow stood out - that he forgot to introduce himself. Sure, she knew who he was, but that was common courtesy!

"I beg your forgiveness, _mademoiselle_ , as the sight of you made me forget my manners. Please, allow me to introduce myself.", he slighty bowed his head forward and held out his right hand, palm pointing upwards. And oh, how delighted he was when she softly placed her hand on his! It was not much of a touch, more like a butterfly gently landing on his hands. _I need .. to stop this .. soon?_ , he tried to reason with himself, but there was no denying that the touch, even the slightest, of a goddess was as intoxicating as .. but he couldn't think of something that came even close to her. This woman was truly without equal. Her auburn hair, her flawless and soft skin, these eyes a man could drown in and die happy .. and he hadn't even seen her standing yet. But it was probably better that way, as he couldn't stop his eyes from wandering down a bit and, well, let's just say it poured fuel into the fire. It's been years since he had his last nosebleed, but now that his blood was rushing .. well, everywhere, he could already feel it knocking on the door. But wasn't there something he had to do? Realising that he was still holding her hand, he somewhat came back to his senses, softly brushing his thumb over her knuckles before lowering his head deep enough to breath a kiss – his lips were not touching her skin – on her knuckles.

"Sanji ... Vinsmoke, it is my greatest pleasure to make your acquaintance, _mademoiselle_.", to his utter delight, she let out a soft chuckle. And no matter how heavily the rain was hammering on the car, no matter how much noise it made, her reaction enchanted him more than everything he could imagine .. well, more than anything he could imagine safely, without risking a nosebleed.

"The pleasure is all mine, _Sanji .._ ", good God, the way she pronounced his name sent shivers done his spine. "I'm Nami ..", _a goddess called Nami? Very fitting._ "And I'm your brother Niji's .. ", _oh no no no no no, please, don't say 'girlfriend', please, please, don't say 'girlfriend' .._ she paused for a moment which led him to finally let go of her hand, raising his face to restore eye contact. "You look a little distressed, did you see a ghost? I was just about to tell you that I'm your brother Niji's **girlfriend**.", that very moment, he thought that she must have been able to hear his heart breaking. Girlfriend. His brother's. Taken. _Shouldn't have come here .._ , he sluggishly thought. "That's .. great to hear, Nami. May I ask how .. long you've been together?", his voice threatened to give up on him, but he had to at least try to get on good terms with her. Just for the hell of it.

"Of course you may! Tomorrow it's going to be three years for the both of us, and if I'm being honest, I think that he's going to propose not long after.", well, everything got from bad, but alright, to wonderful to bad to worse to utterly freaking terrible in no time. Mere seconds ago, when she told him that she was Niji's girlfriend, he felt as if he had been suckerpunched by the world's strongest man. _And there goes all the hope I had gathered since meeting the Goddess, never to be seen again_ , but now that she told him that she anticipated a proposal, he couldn't fall much deeper, could he? Once you hit rock bottom, the only way left to go was up. Trying to keep a straight face, even forcing a smile upon himself, he carefully chose his next words, even though his voice tried to betray him all the way.

"That's .. amazing news, Nami, really. I'm very happy for the two of you .. shall we get going, then?", yeah, good news for his despicable bastard of a brother. _Maybe he changed for the better? A woman like Nami would never be in a relationship with that sodding bastard he used to be, maybe she even managed to change him?_ , the chances were slim, but he at least had to try to stay positive. One door closes, another one opens or whatever people in dire situations used to say.

"So, Sanji, are you sure that you're actually related to Niji and Yonji?", now, what kind of a question was that? Didn't she see his eyebrow? Also, he needed a cigarette right now. Without even thinking about the necessary movements, he snatched one of these little nails to his personal coffin out of a silvery case he carried in the inside pocket of his jacket before, again, forcing himself to look at her. "Come again? And .. would you mind if I smoke?", he really, really needed it. Even if she wouldn't allow it in the car, getting outside in the cold and rain didn't seem like a bad idea at all. Maybe it'd even help him to shake off the strange mixture of feelings rushing through his mind and body.

"I'm sure you understood.", there it was again, that beautiful smile that could melt solid rock. Genuine, beautiful and demanding an answer.

"Yeah .. they wouldn't have invited me otherwise, would they?", he still had the cigarette between his lips, waiting for an answer regarding that question. Instead of answering, she moved a little in her seat, taking the cigar jack out of its mounting and leaned over towards his side. And if that wasn't surprising enough for him, her next move definitely was. No clear thought went with it when he felt her fingers gently touch his chin to keep it, and by extension the cigarette, in place, her other hand, holding the cigar jack, moved upwards aswell and she gently touched the end of the cigarette with it, waiting for him to start inhaling. This gentle touch alone was as galvanizing as a date with an electric chair. Niji, his brother, any other man, being a gentleman. All of that seemed just so meaningless when one was confronted with the tender touch of a literal goddess. Her voice was little more than a whisper when she finally answered him again. And even though the rain was still as heavy as ever, his senses were so focused on her that he could've even understood her of she just _thought_.

"Will you forgive me?", she asked when the smoke finally hit his lungs and brought at least some relief with it, at least from the stress regarding the relevation a few minutes ago. But not even if one would take all the cigarettes existing in the entire world into account, not even if he smoked all of them at once, could they have even hoped to dampen the sensation he felt when she touched him.

"..?", right now, he'd forgive her shooting him in the stomach with a double-barrelled sawed-off shotgun. The cigarette was fully ignited by now and she lowered the hand holding the lighter, the fingers of her other hand were still touching his chin though. And he didn't mind it one bit.

"When I told your brothers, Niji and Yonji, the same story, they reacted with a mixture of fury and jealousy and some pretty creative swearing. You, on the other hand, and that's why I hope that you forgive me, seemed shaken but tried to remain your composure, stayed friendly and put whatever your own feelings regarding that matter were behind, even when I told you that he was likely to propose. I .. have to admit that I liked that. So, would you forgive me the small play, please?", she pouted at him. His mind though, yeah, that was still a blank place.

"So .. you .. Niji .. you're not his ..?", he stuttered slowly and she softly shook her fiery head for an answer.

"Nope, not in this life, not in the next one. I'm Ichiji's secretary. And, before you think any further, I'm only that. Nothing, not even a tiny little bit more than a secretary.", she added, obviously being familiar with how men regarded incredibly attractive secretaries. Finally, she let go of his chin, still pouting at him, waiting for an answer. _Kinda sure she already knows it._ , after a few more seconds in which he kept the smoke in his lungs, he finally exhaled, breathing it out through his nostrils.

"There's nothing to forgive. That, and I admire your exceptional gift when it comes to acting, Nami. It was quite the sight to behold.", slowly, the creeping cold from from his damp clothing returned as the warming touch of her hand was gone. But when she smiled, it was all forgotten again. For a while now, they were just sitting there, next to each other, watching the other person silently and somehow just enjoying the company.

A while later, Nami finally put the car into motion and soon, they would finally reach the manor and Sanji would be forced to meet his family again.

Little did they know that, for whatever they might have felt in that moment, regardless of the role they had to play, they weren't even considered as worthy as a pawn.

And at the dead of the night, a solitary crow cawed defiantly against the raging storm.


	2. Chapter 2

Oi, chapter is a little shorter than I actually wanted it to be, but the transition from outside the house to getting inside felt smoother to do if I just put the rest in the following chapters. No warnings for this one, but watch out for the preface of the next ones. Cheers!

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Chapter II

It took them a while to finally reach the Vinsmoke's ancestral estate as the storm was still growing stronger, howling in the night like a savage wolf. But alas, he didn't mind. Being able to spend time alone with a woman like her was a blessing, even though she had to concentrate on the sole purpose of not killing them. The streets were in a terrible condition and it had seemed to become worse as soon as the car had left the dim light of the station. The heavy rain hammered onto the car in a staccato that would put a machine gun to shame and even the winds tried their best to lead the vehicle astray. But again, the Goddess managed to surprise him. She was calm, collected, focused and even if the end of the world was approaching, she wouldn't lose the way nor the control of the car. A damn fine driver, to put it shortly. Other than that, he wasn't able to learn a lot more about her. Nami was approachable and friendly, no questions asked, but he had the feeling that she willingly held back some informations about her background.

"So, you've been working as **his** secretary for .. how long, now?", he tried to restart the conversation, having to speak a little louder than usual as the roaring engine of the car fought a losing battle against the terrible storm.

"Around a year now, it's kinda difficult to find a job with my rather peculiar background.", she replied, still having her eyes focused on the road .. or whatever she could identify as a road in that play of black and brown that unfolded before their eyes. "Peculiar background? Would you elaborate?", that sounded rather mysterious but, at least in his eyes, turned out like a load of false decisions when she started her studies. "Anthropology and German as a second language. I mean, I could probably start as a teacher, but I majored in anthropology for a reason, you know?", now, that explained a little more. _Anthropology .. interesting field, I guess, something along the lines of studying human culture and development or so. And not really what I'd have expected from a secretary at all._

"I guess so. Admittedly, I don't know a hell of a lot about anthropology, but I can see where you're coming from, at least I assume I can.", he ignited another cigarette and turned to the side to take a look out of the window. Nothing of note had changed, black in brown with a little wrath of the gods on top. He sure was happy about not having to find a hotel for the night, especially not when forced to travel on foot. For all throughout his life, he had been living in cities, some big, some small, but they always had the flair, they radiated the liveliness of a place inhabited by people.

It was nothing like this.

This whole area seemed just so abandoned, he couldn't even make out any houses in the nearest vicinity. And if there were some, he was sure that the inhabitants would be as if taken out of the books he sometimes read. Clichéd to no end, mindlessly staring down foreigners and holding back a dark secret. He didn't consume loads of works belonging to the horror genre, but he was sure that the people here – if there were any – would live up to nearly every trope used.

"We're close. Are you excited to see your family again?", her clean voice disturbed the image of degenerated country folks cannibalising each other while sacrificing virgins to dark gods that was forming in his mind. Thankfully. _How can she know? My sense of orientation isn't that bad, but in the middle of the damn night, every bit of black and brown looks like the same bit of black and brown two kilometres ago!,_ he certainly was in awe of her and, even though he knew next to nothing about her, had no problems in trusting her judgement. "Want me to be honest? I'd rather sleep under a bridge than under the same roof as my .. relatives.", maybe he overstepped his bounds a bit as Nami was employed by one of his brothers, might even be somewhat loyal to him, but he didn't want to lie to her. And if everything went down as abysmal as he expected, the illusion of a happily reunited family would shatter quickly enough. "Any particular reason for that?", the estate was finally in sight. The lights on the ground floor of that decade old beast of a house were lit, not caring that normal people used to sleep at this time. Maybe they were actually waiting for their arrival.

"Well, I certainly didn't have the best possible childhood. And I'd lie if I said that my dear siblings didn't play a huge part in that.", that was about as far as he wanted to go. It wouldn't serve any purpose to tell her about the things his father used to do and to say to ensure that his children would grow up the way he intended. And that wasn't even mentioning the fact about his strange obsession for ancient books and even older languages. Judge Vinsmoke, and that was the only positive thing Sanji could think of, had been a very sophisticated man, well versed in foreign languages and even dead languages (that sounded more like a drunk trying to talk in ancient Greek after he had been hit on the head with a club). For whatever reason.

"I was young when I left my family.", to that, she just nodded, deciding that it would be better not to dig deeper until he opened up himself. "I deeply respect you for coming here, though. It's better to give this whole reunion a shot than to live with yourself when the opportunity to do so no longer exists.", she said, finally starting to park the car. There were three other cars that Sanji could identify through rain and darkness, large, state of the art. It seemed like his siblings had been pretty successful in whatever they did with their lives. He also noted that the cars marked a stark contrast between the modern world and the old ancestral mansion that had been in the possession of his family for much longer than he lived.

 _So many years have passed and still .. around these halls, I don't feel well. Just looking at them summons shades of the past, of mother not being able to sleep in here, looking as pale as a ghost. The walls used to sound so .. hollow, as if something was living within them. Faint voices whispering in your ears. I'm not a child anymore, but it still chills me to the bone._

"Are you ready to go, Sanji?", her clear voice effortlessly broke through his sombre thinking and he couldn't help but to smile. Maybe people and old stories didn't lie when they spoke of a light in the darkness that was able to burn the shadows away?

"As ready as I can be, I guess. Please, Miss Nami ..", his arms slid out of his jacket and he held it towards her. "It's raining cats and dogs and I wouldn't want for you to catch a cold.", to that, she answered with a smile and slung it around her shoulders. The car's engine finally grew silent and for a moment, he felt lost. Caught in the heavy rain, the hurricane winds trying to yank around the car, the starless sky and a beacon of light, sitting right next to him. But before he could lose himself in that thought, she broke the silence once again, handing over the silvery case in which he stored his cigarettes.

"Pretty sure you're going to smoke before we get inside, hm?", she was right, of course. Even though somewhere in his subconscious he had garnered some hope of leaning in on her to get his cigarettes. Opening the case, the subtle smell of dried tobacco hit his nose and put his nerves at ease. _I could still flee. Just run into the dark of night and never look back. How 'bout that?_ , he knew that he wouldn't do it, but assuring himself that he _could_ was nearly as important as actually doing it. Without a second thought, he put another cigarette between his lips and exchanged glances with Nami. "Think I'm as ready as I could be. I just .. well, thank you for picking me up. It's been a very pleasant experience.", sure, there was the chance that she would consider his words as weird, but not knowing what was to come made him speak out anyway.

Nami answered with a smile and gently put her hand on his shoulder. Even though the touch was as soft as a butterfly landing on him, it nonetheless sent a shiver through his body. By all means, electrifying. "I wouldn't worry too much if I was you. I'm sure it's not going to be as bad as you think it will, remember that all of you are adults now. Times change and people tend to do the same.", and again, she was right. And his conscious mind didn't have any problem to believe her, but the underlying feelings and memories were still there. _She's got a point. It's been nearly fifteen years since I have last seen them. Things might have changed for the better. It's very unlikely that these days will go down as badly as my mind is trying to tell me they will._ , in hindsight, both of them had a point. Things wouldn't be as bad as he imagined.

Also, things just might be a little better now, as he was still feeling her touch on his shoulder. He enjoyed it so much, actually, and got soaked in by it that the unlit cigarette nearly fell from his mouth. But nature seemed to have a way to interrupt humans whenever the opportunity arose. Even through the hammering rain, through the loudness of raging winds, both of them startled when a loud **thump** destroyed the precious moment.

They quickly found the offender, but that didn't help the startling effects of the sudden noise. Or the effect that the disturber had.

 _Fuck you, bird._

Indeed, it was a bird. A rather large one at that. From what Sanji could see through the pale light that reached it, coming from the inside of the car, it must have been a crow. Or a raven. Not that he knew nor cared about any difference between these two. What he cared more about was that Nami's hand had left his shoulder, which now felt empty and cold. But the longer he looked at it, the more creepy it became. Its black feathers seemed untouched by the rain and, besides the noisy landing, the animal seemed unshaken by the winds. Silently staring at the both of them through black eyes. _So .. when's the 'Nevermore' coming?_ , he had never been a huge fan of Edgar Allan Poe, but seeing the bird brought back memories long buried of him reading 'The Raven'. To his delight, Nami broke the silence with the exact same thought. "Sanji, are you, perchance, looking for a lost Lenore?", she chuckled and it was as contagious as it could get, driving away the shadows, even momentarily the ones he kept to himself.

"Nevermore.", he said, himself smiling by now. "He's a tough one, though. Flying through this storm should earn him some respect.", still, the bird was just standing on the car's bonnet, silently watching them. Maybe out of slight curiosity, or .. was it judging them? _Yeah, it sure is. Well done, Prince Sanji of Dumbass Kingdom. That bird is absolutely judging people._

But as abruptly as it came, the bird left them. With one powerful stroke of his wings, the raven (or crow?) effortlessly soared into the air, seemingly untouched by the heavy rain or the wind's violent play.

"That .. was strange.", Nami leaned forward, trying to follow the bird's path, but within a split second it had vanished into the black night. "Did you notice something odd about it?", she asked, sinking back into the chair and turning her face towards him. "Odd? You mean, besides the fact that it stared at us for no reason?", he looked at her in perplexity. "Yeah, besides that. The poor thing was crippled, it had three legs.", his eyes widened at that. Three legs? He didn't pay too much attention to other parts than the bird's creepy black eyes. But that was something that you didn't get to see every day. "Seemed to be holding up well enough, if you ask me. Maybe he's more resilient thanks to being different?", actually, the bird was holding up even better than he was giving it credit. Not only had it seemed utterly unfazed and unflinching when it came to wind and rain, it even made its final ascent and good-bye looking perfectly natural, as if it was effortlessly riding on the wind, bending nature to fit its needs.

"Well .. what I wanted to say before that unnecessary interruption: I think that your siblings are already waiting for us. So, one last cigarette and then we head in?", again, she was right. Confronting them was inevitable by now, might as well get it over with. Sanji nodded in agreement, unbuckled and finally stepped out in the cold and rain. Surprisingly enough, it felt good. After the time he had spent with Nami by his side, his body was in dire need of cooling down. And the weather did provide that, a little too much, actually. Stepping out of the car didn't really feel like stepping into the rain, but more like taking a shower with all your clothes on. Not a very pleasant feeling, but it did help him in getting his head clear. He didn't need to hurry, too, since by the time they would reach the door, he'd be wet to his bones anyway, so he took his time walking over to her side and falling into his usual manners. He opened the door and held out his right hand towards her. Nami accepted it and readily let him help her to get out of the car, his fine jacket hanging loosely on her shoulders. Contrary to his shirt, it might hold the water back for a few minutes before it was soaked. He shut the door and both of them began walking towards the dimly lit entrance, a wide door made from heavy and expensive wood. It even had an old-fashioned knocker, too. A sinister little thing, the head of a dog, mouth wide open with fangs that seemed just a little too long and pointy to be on the realistic side of things. In its mouth, it held a thick ring made of rusty iron. _Whoever designed this house read too many horror books._ Fortunately for the both of them, though, he also seemed to have had some kind of sense regarding practicality. The house's roof extended a meter or so, so that one might find shelter from the rain when standing next to the door.

The moment of truth had finally arrived and Sanji felt a strange tingling in his stomach. Even though it's been so long, the bad memories still haunted him from time to time. And there were some wounds that were just too deep and too stubborn to heal. He was pleased to see that the cigarette between his lips still was mostly dry, ready to be ignited. _Just a few minutes more .. a little time to enjoy next to the goddess._

But hope was the first step on the road to disappointment.

The moment he lifted his lighter to ignite the cigarette, a loud screeching put rain and storm to shame. The heavy door was being opened and the old, rusty hinges ached under the sudden pressure. It sounded like the metal was being torn apart, and when it ceased, a shadowy figure finally strode into his line of sight. Confronted with that rather small, undefined frame, he felt like Igor had just opened the doors to Dracula's castle for him. Only that this Igor didn't have a hunchback. And wasn't even male to begin with.

"Our guest of honour has finally arrived, I see..", the voice was definitely female, not as clean or high as Nami's, but more of the smoky, seductive kind that had appealed to him for most of his teen and adult life. But not this time, for reason that should become obvious in a few seconds. Even though he couldn't remember all of it, the familiarity of her voice was what made the tingling in his stomach grow wild. All the time, he had prepared to meet them on his own terms, when he was ready to do it. This situation just stomped on his plan and he felt his confidence crumbling in the face of unexpected events. What came next, somehow, made it even worse. "Nami, dear, Ichiji is waiting for you in the kitchen. I think he's got a surprise waiting for you.", maybe it was true or maybe it was just a polite way of telling her to go so that his sister, Reiju, might have a minute alone with him. It didn't matter, the thought of being without Nami distressed him. For a second, he hoped that the secretary would decline, saying that his damned brother could wait a few minutes more, but she was far too polite for that.

"I'll go see him, maybe it's important. Sanji, I'll put your jacket up for drying, is that alright?", he nodded, forcing himself to smile confidently, even though he didn't feel like it. A moment later, she was gone and silence fell upon him and his sister. There was so much to say, but he couldn't decide on what was important and what not.

"It's .. good to see you, Reiju. You've grown up.", that wasn't exactly creative or heart-warming, but as neutral a thing as he had to say. And there it was again, a strange feeling of impending doom. He wasn't usually like this, but since her letter had reached him, it had become increasingly easy to follow dark and gloomy thoughts. "I didn't believe that you'd really come, Sanji. It's been so long.", she said, wearing a strange smile that didn't extend to her eyes. Somehow, it felt like she was wearing a mask, trying to conceal her true feelings about all of this. "Can't believe it myself, to be perfectly honest.", he took a deep draw from his cigarette and exhaled through mouth and nose, not being able to decide if this was good or bad. In fact, he wasn't even able to look at her for an extended period of time. All the bad memories that haunted him became just so lively again. "We're all adults now, right ..? It's not going to be like it used to be.", to that, she gently shook her head, her pink hair being a rather odd and colourful contrast to the surrounding darkness. "We've all become bigger, Sanji. But looking at you, at least trying to conquer your past and make peace with it, I feel that you are one of the rare people who actually grew up.", that was cryptic and not encouraging at all. Did she want to say that his brothers didn't change over the past fifteen years?

She sighed silently, taking something that looked like a slighty bigger, black cigarette out of her pocket. "Would you mind me borrowing your lighter?", he didn't answer and just handed it over. If she had been any other woman, he'd have given her light, of course. But she was his sister and could surely do it on her own. For the moment, he averted his gaze from her and stared into the black sky. Still, there wasn't even the slightest sign of star- or moonlight, the thick black clouds all but painted the heavens. Again, he inhaled the smoke deeply and felt his nerves easing when it hit his lungs and the nicotine did its magic. Next to him, he heard her lighting the flame, accompanied by the characteristic swoosh of gas leaving the lighter.

Indeed, he was so distracted by the ominous black sky that for the first few moments, he didn't even realise that Reiju had grabbed his hand. And then, the stinging, sharp pain arrived.

He let out a deep grunt, instinctively trying to draw back his left arm, but the Vinsmokes were more than met the eye, and it showed again. Reiju had a small frame and the perfect figure for a woman, no hulking muscles, just pure elegance, but she hid steel underneath that. Her grab on his arm was close to a vice, nearly inescapable with only the strength of his own arm to rely on. The crying pain dragged on for a second or two, before she finally let go of him. He backed up a metre or so into the rain, grabbing his forearm. "Have you lost your damn mind?!", he shouted at her. Under different circumstances, his voice might have reached the people inside the mansion, too, but the storm all but drowned it out. By now he could see that she was holding the small, black thing that had looked like a cigarette in her right hand.

Sanji breathed heavily, still trying to cope with the pain she had inflicted on him while his own resilience tried to match it. _What the ..?!_ , he forced his right hand to let go of his forearm to see the damage she had done. And by what means.

"Have you lost your mind, Reiju?!", he shouted again, even though a little less furious, now that he had seen the damage. It sure hurt like hell, but the pain was worse than what actually had happened. She had **branded** him, the damn mad woman. He wasn't able to clearly make out what it was, but at least it wasn't too big and wouldn't cripple his arm or his precious hands, even though the pain was still radiating all over the left side of his body. It was a small thing, relatively fine and shaped, covering a room on his skin as wide as the tip of his thumb.

"You can thank me later, brother. Just keep it covered up with your sleeve.", obviously, she didn't even think about answering any questions about it. The fine hairs on his arm had been burned away and, again looking at the shape of the branding, he could finally make out what it was. It looked like a strange type of a very branch, nothing too complicated. Three arms on its left side, two on the right. "If that's some kind of a shitty freaking joke, Reiju, I'm going to leave right here and now!", he wanted answers and he wanted the pain to go away (actually, it did cease a little since his fury towards her numbed it).

"Maybe you sh-", she began only to be interrupted by another, eerily similar to Sanji's own, deep voice. "Sanji, don't you want to give your little brother a hug? It's been a long time.", another shade appeared from inside the house, stepping next to his sister. It was kind of astounding to see that so little had changed about him. Unconsciously, Sanji rolled down the sleeve of his shirt to cover up the branding Reiju had given him. As uncomfortable as a soaked shirt was, the coolness of it was quite adapt at easing the pain of said sign. _He hasn't changed at all. Not his eyes, his hairstyle or his posture. Just the clothes are a little more extravagant._ Indeed, the green-haired, muscular man was the exact, though grown up, mirror image of the Yonji he remembered .. not so fondly, to put it mildly. And even though his words were probably intended to at least sound amicable, he didn't even try to conceal the disdain in his voice when he addressed Sanji. And where Reiju at least tried to put on a friendly, welcoming smile, his brother was just staring at him with a brick for a face, no emotional value to find therein. His slicked back hair only underlined that Yonji was the archetype of a spoiled brat with too easy a childhood. Sanji's hands, again unconsciously, formed fists.

"You'll catch a cold if you stay in the rain. Come in, everybody **pretends** that they want to meet you.", he stepped aside, doing a mockingly welcoming gesture to invite him into the house, while Reiju kept shrouding herself in silence. What was it that she wanted to say? Sanji had travelled so far. Now he had to go through with it, setting himself in motion, leaving the storm behind himself and, after so many years, stepped into the ancestral estate of his family again.

And just before Reiju closed the heavy door, he heard it again.

Another **caw** coming from somewhere within this blackest night, a lonely voice raised in defiance of storm and rain and darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

Alright, I've got a lot to say before this chapter begins, so let's get right to it.

First of all, take warning. This chapter contains graphic depictions of violence (nothing sexual / non-con, though), so if you're not into this kind of stuff, don't read this chapter and probably the rest of the story.

Second, there's again people I have to thank.

My boy Renillion (ffDotnet), who continued to support me through most of the writing of this chapter and supplied me with some nice creative input. I very much enjoy our conversations, man, hope to hear and read more about your original stuff!

Azoroadaywontkeepsanjiaway (on tumblr), who beta-read like 2/3rds or more of this chapter, thank you so much for the time you've put into it and for more that I'll mention a little later.

Onepiecefeatstuff / alaznesweeran (on tumblr and AO3) for giving me a much needed pep-talk and being a genuinely good and supportive person (who also writes fanfictions which you should read).

EastBlue (on ffDotnet), who always leaves reviews that encourage me to continue writing, even when I feel like a waste of skin. Thank you so much!

Year of the Goat for recording 'The Unspeakable', which had been a great source of inspiration for me.

Alright, coming to the third point, the one I was actively dreading. The beta-reading made me realise that this fiction started off wrong. Let me explain: When I said that I wanted to return to my roots as a writer, I meant that I wanted to write (cosmic) horror. I could've easily done that, but instead made it a fanfiction instead of an original work. So, the thing is that people who read fanfictions are rightfully anticipating a story that is driven by more or less fixed characters, no matter if it's AU or an Alternate Timeline. This is were I made my first mistake, because these kinds of stories usually don't revolve around the characters, not even the protagonists. Many mistakes followed but I'm not going to bore you with them.

Well, long story short: I'm putting Solstice on hiatus until I'm able to decide what to do with it. That might be in a week, a month or never. Sorry if you're one of the two people who actually enjoyed reading it.

Chapter III - Arisen

Sanji was quick to realise that the interior of the estate was still congruent with what he remembered. It actually seemed like nothing had changed at all.

 _At least, someone cleaned up nicely._ He was pretty sure that his happened not to the courtesy of his siblings, but thanks to some underpayed worker. Setting foot inside the house again somewhat felt like entering another world, another time. Here and there, there was a new-ish painting to see, obviously made after he abandoned the family, or after the family abandoned him. It portrayed the tall, muscular _.. and pretty ugly .._ Judge Vinsmoke, towering over his three favoured kids, by the time of the painting around 14 or 15 years old. It was rather well done, to be honest, but it distorted reality in a mocking way. Even though they were the favoured kids of the Vinsmoke patriarch, they were still subject to his harsh, sometimes bordering on tyrannical, rules. _I'm still surprised that I was the only one who wanted to win his freedom._

At least, Reiju was nice enough to hand him a towel to dry his hair. "Where's Nami?", he asked no one in particular, trying to sound as neutral as possible. "She still has my jacket.", he added solely for him remembering that especially Yonji had, at least in the past, the rather disturbing nature to utterly destroy whatever he held dear, no matter if it was a toy, a book or even a living thing such as a pet rat. They were adults now, but he didn't want to take chances. Especially not in that regard. "Probably in the kitchen, with Ichiji. I envy that lucky bastard, she's a sight to behold, right? And she's always by his side .. maybe he's taking her on the table right now.", and there it was again, the overwhelming wish to kick Yonji's head in.

"Unlikely, Nami seems to prefer a professional relationship.", Reiju intervened and Sanji felt a sliver of gratitude towards her. Despite the branding she had given him and the ominous way she talked.

The house was as big and cold and as utterly devoid of any soul as he remembered it. Long floors, laden with portraits of some ancestors he never knew made up a big part of it. These portraits weren't holding any decorative value to them, it seemed as if they hung around here because they no other place in this world would accept them. Other than that, he sure was surprised that the main source of light were actual lamps and not, as someone who might see only the outside of the estate might have thought, candles or torches.

"Hannah, Lily and Nichiji are already in the living room. I'm sure that you're going to take a liking to them, they're sweet girls.", Reiju said, obviously addressing Sanji. _Maybe I will, since I'm not related to them._

The living room, as nearly every other separate room in the whole estate, was large and the furniture within it was exactly the same it was twenty-ish years ago. A couch large enough to accompany up to three or four people was placed with its back towards the entrance and the same round, ornate carpet was still lying on the ground in front of it. Another couch, a smaller one, and a chair that looked rather comfortable and even regal complemented the room.

 _Wasn't there a table, too, standing on the carpet?_ , he asked himself, not sure if his memories were accurate in that regard. Again, he contemplated that taking a step into this room came close to taking a look at his own past. Sanji could much too vividly remember Judge sitting in that exact chair, reading some old book or scolding him for being too weak. The rhythmic noises of a large grandfather clock were the only obvious sounds in the whole room. And, as Reiju had said, there were three people inside of it. One of these people he knew, even though his back was turned towards the entrance. The blue hair was a pretty distinguishing characteristic. _Has he .. changed?_ The question didn't pop into Sanji's mind out of nowhere. Niji wasn't alone on the couch. There was another person sitting next to him, crowned by beautiful and silky auburn hair. She wore it lose and it was just long enough to reach a little farther than her shoulders. It surprised him a little that his brother had his arm slung around her and she didn't seem to mind in the least, even enjoying it as her head softly rested against his shoulder.

The third person, another woman, appeared to be sleeping on the smaller couch, leaning against the armrest of it. _Is that Barbie?,_ was the immediate thought on seeing her. Indeed, she had hair that was even more blonde than his own and he couldn't help himself but notice that her body had the form of an hourglass. _But .. it seems just so .. exaggerated in contrast to Nami's natural beauty .. it's like a living caricature of an unrealistic beauty standard._ He wanted to scold himself for these thoughts since he didn't knew anything about that person, but again, he couldn't help it.

Her sleep was light, though, and she slowly opened her eyes to be the first to greet them. But while the rest of her body was an oversubscribed caricature of beauty, her big, blue eyes managed to take it home regardless. Her smile appeared genuine and she was quick on her feet to greet them, her voice a soothing melody and not nearly as high-pitched as he had anticipated.

With more grace than Sanji had expected, she strode towards them, around the other couch, giving Yonji a wink before gracing him with her brightest smile. "Oh, it's so exciting to finally meet the lost Vinsmoke! I'm Hannah, very pleased to finally make your acquaintance!", she held out her hand and Sanji wasn't really sure how to greet her. _Probably better to stay neutral for now._ , he thought, shaking her hand and putting up a more-or-less honest smile. It didn't really surprise him that her hands were as smooth and soft as they were, perfectly fitting the air of high class she radiated, but there still was something more underneath.

Being a first class cook, some of his senses were refined to a near superhuman level. His senses of taste and smell, needless to say, where already there, but there was another one, so easily forgotten. Not only did his hands develop a dexterity of nigh-legendary reputation, his sense of touch was equally well trained. _Platinum, I'm sure about it._ The metal was too smooth to be just silver, and nearly as warm as her hand was.The impressions didn't end there, as there was more to be found. Something that he only brushed with the tip of his middle finger. _And that's a diamond._ Of course, he couldn't be sure about it being a diamond and not some other gem that was embedded into the ring, but common sense somewhat dictated it to be the way to go for an engagement ring.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Hannah.", another second went by and he finally let go of her hand. Despite the way she looked, he had the feeling that Hannah was a genuine and rather nice person. People always said that you weren't supposed to judge a book by its cover, but that was a difficult task to achieve, to be sure. "I see that you're going to be my sister, too.", another smile he had to force, but the thought of welcoming a, for a change, nice and friendly person into the family wasn't half bad. Her eyes widened a little and she exchanged a glance with Yonji, who was still standing behind him. "Have you told him, my love?", to that he shook his head, answering with a slight snarl in his voice that felt like he was being apathetic to the fact "Probably saw your ring, hun.", to which Sanji only nodded.

That was enough noise to finally wake up the last two persons within this room. The auburn-haired girl began to move rather slowly, as most people did after they woke up, and stretched her arms to the sides, letting out a suppressed yawn before turning around and slowly blinking the sleep out of her eyes. The blue-haired person sitting to her left also turned around, albeit slowly. There wasn't any sign of exhaustion or sleepiness to find when it came to his face. Just the same old condescending look that seemed just so common within the Vinsmoke family that one might fear that it was genetically imprinted on them.

His lips twitched into a smile that lasted for about a second before it disappeared without a trace. "Looks like the most important person of the evening has arrived.", what was that about? Sure, it was a family reunion, the first one after more than fifteen years for Sanji, but the most important person to arrive?

"Niji.", there really wasn't anything more to say, at least from his side. Sanji made the same observation that he made in regards with Yonji, though. Niji had just grown into an adult version of what he was as a child, even his hairstyle hadn't changed at all, the blue hair still covering most of his right eye. Standing up, Sanji observed that he was less muscular than Yonji and more of a type that he classified as 'lean and mean'. It took him only a couple of steps to walk around the couch, placing himself next to Hannah.

"Huh, someone changed for the better.", he opened up, eyeing him from head to toe. "You've gotten a lot tougher since we've last seen you, brother. Not the sickly child you've used to be, right? I'm excited to see that.", that drove his weirdness-meter through the roof. What kind of an introduction was that?!

"By the way, that's my girl over there, name's Lily.", he just waved his hand in her general direction, not even making the effort of looking at her. She smiled rather shyly and raised her hand, breathing a soft "Hi.", as she was still trying to rid herself of the sleepiness. "Now that you're here, we can finally ready the dinner, hope you like .. lamb.", again, why that pause before the last word?

 _And why did he exchange a glance with Yonji? Is this some kind of a stupid joke?_ Unconsciously, his right hand rubbed over his left forearm. The soothing effect of his wet and cold shirt had worn off and the branding actually began to hurt. Not too much, but it was a constant and rather annoying pain. Still, it was just so easily forgotten when the high, clear laughter of a familiar voice caught his attention, followed by fast steps, closing in on the living room. "I can't believe that you've found an original!", yes, it was Miss Nami's voice. Even though they had spent not even a whole hour together, he would've recognised it everywhere on earth.

There she was again, only slightly changed. And to Sanji's utter delight, she still had his jacket hanging loosely on her shoulders, but there also was something new.

Nami had her arms crossed in front of her chest, carrying some old book, as it seemed. Only the way she carried it was rather peculiar. It looked heavy enough, a large, old thing, bound in fissured, ancient brown leather, adorned with _.. a freaking lock? Is that a diary or why on Earth would somebody walk the extra mile to put a shitty lock on a book?_

Maybe it really was that special, judging from the surprisingly gentle way Nami pressed it against her chest, as if she was holding a newborn child. He also noted that she was wearing glasses now, not the big and unhandy kind that the hipsters that visited the restaurant he worked at sometimes wore, but slender ones with a black frame, modelled mostly for functionality. And they were fitting her face like a glove, adding only small accents while not taking away anything from a face that might as well had been sculpted by a literal god on a good day.

Unfortunately though, that was no place to be overly excited, especially not because she was followed closely by another person. The last to be present at this reunion. It would probably redundant to say that he, too, just grew up but did not change. Red hair, though of a darker tone than Nami's, covered his right eye and he wore a confident smile on his lips.

Ichiji was neither the tallest, that dubious honour would go to Yonji, nor the most muscular of the Vinsmoke quadruplets. Though one might say that he was a perfect mix of Niji's lankiness and Yonji's muscular physique. His entire posture spoke volumes about him, too. With it, he radiated an air of confidence, of charisma, of cunning, all supported by his choice of clothing. Needless to say, he looked sharp and as his two brothers before him, he went with a black, custom-tailored jacket with a white shirt underneath, adorned with a tie that matched the colour of his hair.

"You're looking good, little brother. Healthy and strong. A late-bloomer if I've ever seen one, eh? Took your body long enough to finally embrace its noble heritage.", well, what did Sanji expect? Genuine, welcoming words? _Don't make me laugh._ He had a feeling that, as with his other brothers, nothing had really changed. They were still the persons they had been fifteen years ago, only somewhat more refined in their ways.

"Thank you, I guess ..", was the only answer that Sanji had, looking at Ichiji no longer than it was necessary and polite, but that moment passed and his gaze moved on towards Nami who was still holding that old book. When their eyes finally met, she greeted him with a warm and happy smile. "What's that?", he nodded into the direction of the book. "It's a treasure, I mean, a real treasure.", she answered, visibly trying to keep her excitement in check. Sanji raised a questioning brow and she continued.

"It's the first issue of Friedrich Wilhelm von Junzt's 'Von den unaussprechlichen Kulten'! That translates into 'Of the unspeakable cults'.", his brow was raised even higher if that was possible. Instead of clearing things up, it confused him even more.

"Pretty sinister name. What's it about?", he asked, lightly leaning his head to the side. "Oh, most of it is only some occult stuff, spells and such. Not really important if you want to have my honest opinion. But still, it's invaluable! All the citations he used, his sources for the spells, they can prove the existence of books that were mostly shrouded in myth! For example, for one spell he cites 'Cultes des Goules', a book that many people thought existed only in the realms of legend, but according to von Junzt, he was in possession of a version of it written in Italian. If one could track down even a quarter of these books, it would be a milestone for research! Just look at it this way, the first issue of this book was released in 1839 in Germany and took so many other books into account, how did these reach von Junzt? The researchers can finally ask new questions based on hard facts!", even though the topic was complicated, just seeing her flaming enthusiasm about it made him smile.

Meanwhile, Hannah had closed the distance between her fiancé and herself, taking Yonji's hands. "It's so nice to finally meet your whole family, my love.", she whispered, her fingers intertwining with his. But instead of returning something, he just smiled at her. Not the usual smile that you saw between lovers, but .. that Vinsmoke smile. Never extending towards the eyes and, no matter what angle you looked at it, coming off as aloof, condescending. As if it was a part of their family to have a superiority complex. "My dear, you and Lily don't even know in how many ways you're completing this night. It's going to be a great Yuletide.", he whispered.

Sanji startled a little when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and for a second he hoped that it was Nami's. But she was still standing too far away from him, gently holding that book. "Dear brother, why won't you sit down? I think it's time to have dinner.", that was Reiju's smoky voice in his ear and, even though he didn't like it, he allowed her to lead him towards the lonely char that his biological father used to sit in time and time again. It actually turned out that it was rather comfortable, so much that Sanji didn't need to use all of his willpower to lean back, allowing himself a moment of respite, a moment to relax and collect his thoughts.

He felt Reiju's hands on his shoulders as if she was trying to massage him and further allowed himself to calm down. Maybe, after all, things wouldn't go down as hard as he expected. It was then that everything happened simultaneously. All began with Reiju's soft, whispering voice in his ear.

"I'm sorry ..", in the same moment, one of her hands left his shoulders and a split second later, he felt that something hard was being pressed against the back of his head, accompanied by a **click** , and his mind was quick to make the association. He had never been confronted by a gun, but over the years, countless works of fiction used this sound to portray the hammer of a weapon being put into place, only the twitching of a finger away from unloading a deadly dose of lead into a body. His eyes widened at the realisation.

At the same time, Niji, who, after greeting Sanji, had retaken his place next to Lily, leaned forward, took hold of the carpet and pulled it away, going so far as to carelessly throw it aside. Had the situation not started to feel like a nightmare as soon as he felt the gun pressed against his head, it would have by now.

Someone had drawn something on wooden ground beneath the carpet. At first glance, it just looked like a circle drawn with white chalk, but there was more to it. The circle itself was adorned with countless signs, most of them he had never seen before. Some might have been Greek letters while others had the nature of symbols, but there was no time to stare at it. A terrified cry cut through the relative silence and out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of its source.

Hannah was still standing in front of Yonji, but her posture had changed. Her shoulders were contracting and she was holding her right hand before her face, grabbing it tightly with her left. "Sorry babe, but you're not going to need this one where you're going.", it would have been easier if his brother's voice was cold and lacked emotion, but that wasn't the case. There definitely was **amusement** in it and it was only then that Sanji realised that her hand was drenched in blood. And it was missing her ring finger.

A ring finger that Yonji was now holding with his left hand while his right one was grasping the hilt of a long and terribly ugly knife. He was quick to snatch the ring from her finger and threw it, the finger, into some corner of the room. That was enough to break Sanji's shock, it didn't matter that Reiju would shoot him, but he wouldn't let Yonji harm the woman any more!

"YOU BASTARD!", he shouted, jumping to his feet, filled with bitter rage. It was stopped in its tracks, courtesy of Ichiji. "Hold your tongue, you disgrace.", by now, he was also holding a gun, but instead of aiming at him, he just put the barrel to Nami's temple. "Your decision. Try to make a move and I'll make her head explode into a rather annoying stain on the wall. When that's done, you're next.", contrary to Yonji's sadistic pleasure, Ichiji really lacked any kind of emotion. That was what made Sanji believe his threat.

Nami's eyes were wide open, all colour had left her face and it was obvious that she fought against the reflexes of shivering, screaming and crying.

"I see that we've reached an understanding. Yonji, proceed.", and that was all he needed to hear. The movement of his right hand was so quick that even Sanji had great difficulty following it, but the results arrived within seconds. Hannah's crying vanished only a moment after his movement had ended and ..

Her throat opened up, blood was gushing out in waves. Within her last conscious thoughts, she might have forgotten her missing finger and tried to press both of her hands against the gaping wound, but it didn't matter anymore, there was just no way to stop it. Not even three seconds later, both her hands where bathed in her own blood and the light began to fade from her lively blue eyes, both of which were still fixated on Yonji, carrying a mixture of shock and silent indictment. He grabbed her by the shoulders and, with a needless excess of force, nearly threw her body into the circle that was drawn on the ground. There, she was supposed to find her final place of rest.

Even Lily, obviously not sleepy anymore, was crying out in utmost terror when she witnessed all of it, her gaze was nailed on Hannah's bleeding, dying body. Surprisingly enough and in contrast to many people who were part of such a dreadful situation, she wanted to get up and help her.

Somehow, even if it just meant holding her, being next to her when she moved on the the next world. Alas, standing up alone proved to be a task much too difficult for the circumstances. Just take the shaking of her legs into account, the fear and confusion that she might have felt. And then forget all of it, as the main factor that pulled her back onto the couch was the strong and absolutely ruthless yank that Niji gave her hair, making her cry out again, a high and shrieking tone, this time stemming from pure physical pain.

"Sit down, you worthless waste of skin. Don't be so eager to die, you might not like it as much as you think.", and even when he smiled that casual, easy Vinsmoke-smile, it was difficult to make out what he really felt. His voice wasn't nearly as sadistically aroused as Yonji's, nor was it as cold as Ichiji's. But before Sanji could think about that any longer, he had to fight down the urge to just walk over towards his brother and choke him to death.

He wouldn't have survived that, and, more importantly, neither would have Nami. She was still as white as a ghost, obviously knowing as little as he did. In that very moment, there were just so many things that he wanted to do.

He wanted to kick Yonji's head into the ground as long as necessary to leave nothing but a bloody pulp. He wanted the choke the life out of Niji. And Ichiji ..

 _I'm going to kill you, even if it's the last thing I'm ever going to do in my life. And when I'm done with you, everything the demons will throw at you in Hell will be nothing but relief .._ , his hands balled into fists, so violently that his nails, even in their cut condition, managed to tear deep into his palms. He was only barely able to control his fury and if it would have only been Reiju, aiming at the back of his head, he would've taken the chance. But with a barrel of stainless steel that was gently touching Nami's skin, things were different.

"Go ahead, Nami. Open it up. Page 351. Can't miss it.", he heard the icy voice of his oldest brother say and Nami, clever girl that she was, complied. Better than having a bullet stuck in your brain, at least for now. She carefully opened the large book, it was already unlocked, taking only a couple of seconds to find the page she was looking for, proof that it had been read a lot.

"Ichiji .. Mr. Vinsmoke .. ' _Hohelied der Wiedererweckung'_? A chant of resurrection? You've killed poor Hannah for some stupid spell?!", that woman .. gods, she definitely had some guts. Even when staring down the barrel of a .45, she still had the backbone to call him out on his madness.

Ichiji let out a deep sigh and cocked the gun, not even looking at her. There was no anger in his voice, just a slight hint of annoyance. "Look Nami, I know what these words mean. Though unfortunately, as of yet I'm not able to correctly pronounce all of them, that'd cost me a teensy bit of time to learn. Actually more time than we currently have at our disposal. Now, would that be a huge problem? No, certainly not, but we will then have to wait for another year. If that's what you want, for all I care, go for it. Close the book. But you might want to keep in mind that I'll paint the walls with your blood, throw in a little mash of what will be the pathetic rest of your brain and top it off with some tiny little splinters of bone. After that, I'm going to personally cut your carcass into pieces, feed it to the crows and come back after three days to burn the rest of it. If that's what you want, fine with me. Just close the book and consider it done.", even the slightest hint of annoyance was gone at the end of his speech, leaving him just as cold and bland as his usual persona was.

Nami's eyes widened again and her rush of anger was extinguished. "I'll be counting to three. It's your call. One. Two.", Ichiji didn't care for a dramatic pause between the numbers, it seemed like he just wanted to get over with it. Maybe that was the reason that Nami finally cried out. If he was spitting out empty threats, he would have taken his time. Just for the effect of it. In the same moment, Sanji wasn't able to hold back any longer and jumped to his feet, hell-bent on killing Ichiji.

He had run out of luck. Within a split second, he felt Reiju's tight grip on his shoulder, and if that would have been all of it, he might have even been able to power through. That thinking didn't take the gun in her hand into account, though, a fact that he learned to regret only a second later as his sister pistol-whipped the back of his head, easily sending him to his knees. The impact had a nauseating effect on him, indeed strong enough to make him vomit what little he had eaten that day all over the floor.

"Oh Reiju, be careful of not breaking our little brother. He might be a pathetic piece of subhuman waste, but we need him in one piece to finally be of use to the family.", Niji playfully scolded her. His vision had become blurry, courtesy of the heavy impact against his head and the tears, equal parts the result of helplessness and vomiting, that were forcing their way out of his eyes. There it was again, cold steel pressed against the back of his head. There was no chance to escape.

"I'LL DO IT!", Nami's shouting seemed to be distant, just like everything else. The lines of this world were still blurry and it took him a substantial amount of willpower just to cease the puking.

"A wise decision. Go ahead, do it as long as there's some life left within her body.", Nami's hands were visibly shaking when she supported the heavy book on her left forearm, using the fingers of her right hand to follow the written lines.

"Am .. am I supposed to just read it out aloud?", her tension was perfectly understandable, as was the occasional cracking of her voice, though she handled the pressure of a gun being pointed at her head surprisingly well, let alone having to watch the poor Hannah bleeding out, who continued to mutter incomprehensible words that only exploded in waves of blood, pouring out of her mouth and the gaping wound that had torn the skin of her throat apart.

"Yes, Nami. Just speak the words and remember that you're calling out to regain the soul of the man once known as Garuda. Now, proceed.", again, it was Ichiji's voice that answered her question.

She took another moment to steel herself for the task at hand, forcing her breath to go calmly. When she finally began, Nami proved her mettle once again: Her voice didn't crack but was strong and steadfast, the shivering of her body had stopped and she had regained a solid composure. Regarding the words she spoke, it was a different beast. Sanji heard them but couldn't understand a word, since they were German.

It all began with the invocation of the Gate and the Key.

" _Erhöre mich, o König des unendlichen Raumes_

 _Erhöre mich, jener, der an allen Orten weilt_

 _Erhöre mich, o Kenner des Tores und des Schlüssels_

 _Erhöre mich, jener, der du selbst Tor und Schlüssel bist_

 _Erhöre mich, o von den Zeiten Unberührter_

 _Erhöre mich, jener, der die Zeiten selbst berührt_

 _O Yog-Sothoth, Herr des Tores und des Schlüssels_

 _O Yog-Sothoth, Stammvater der Zeiten und des Raumes_

 _O Yog-Sothoth, deine Diener rufen dich!" (_ author's note: For an English translation, take a look at the postface _)_

For a moment that seemed to be dragging on for an eternity, nothing of note was happening. At least it was nothing that Sanji was able to perceive, as that what had been put into play already started working when Nami chanted the invocation's first line. The perception, even the understanding of a mere person didn't matter where some powers reigned supreme. By now, all pieces were set into place and the real extravaganza began.

Everyone present, even his emotionally starved siblings, startled when something hammered against one of the windows, a frenzied **clackclackclack** , followed by the bird's cawing that, even though the windows were closed, could still be heard inside of the room. It didn't help, there was nothing it could have done to prevent the following events.

First, the supposedly Greek letters and symbols written onto the circle of chalk experienced a transformation. What had once been white and still and dead changed into something that was neither one nor the other, a plethora of colours began to supersede the plain chalk and tinged it into something that couldn't be described with mere words alone. It was flowing, just as Hannah's blood was, moving as if it had a mind of its own, touching the circle and becoming one with it. As strange as it sounds, the symbols appeared to be dancing around the innermost circle, possibilities were thrown out as if they were worthless, reality bent under the supreme rule of the powers invoked. It didn't stop there. Sanji was looking around, more confused than ever before, and experienced it first hand.

The room itself was changing to make it more accommodating for who- or whatever had been called. Angles bent in impossible directions, the ground beneath his hands, seconds ago solid and cold wood, was heating up, developing a **pulse** of its own. His head started to hurt, as did his eyes. Not from the aftermath of the whipping he had received, but because of the sensory overload that followed all these things that shouldn't, couldn't be.

The living, colourful symbols were still engaged in a feverish, forced and mindless dance around the innermost circle, the once solid wood seemed to be living, breathing, having emotions that none of its kind should have. Somehow, he was able to identify these emotions. As long as the skin of the palms of his hands was touching the ground, all he felt was uncontrollable, frantic hatred, radiating from the very ground billions of people used to walk on, to live on, to die on.

He wanted to close his eyes, lest he wanted to preserve his sanity. But Hannah's coughing and Nami's terrified cry forced him to keep them open for just a few more seconds. His sight was blurred, but still, his eyes tried to focus on the poor girl that might have only had a few seconds left to live, the grip of her hands pressing against the gaping wound had grown weak by now and her spilled blood became the birthing ground for what seemed to be .. bubbles. One might have thought that it was boiling, but that would have only been half the truth.

The bubbles were not only inflating, bursting. No, they were giving birth. Birth to a thousand little arms and cramped hands, crippled, flayed and burnt. Reaching to the sky, to every living thing on this plane of existence, hoping for mercy, for help or just the swift gift of death that should never come. The first part of the ritual was completed, the might of Gate and Key, apparently going by the name of 'Yog-Sothoth', was completely invoked.

Poor Hannah already was too far gone to have any word on that matter, maybe her heart was still beating, maybe it wasn't. Thousands of arms, stretching out towards her, using her blood as a gateway, didn't make the distinction. The body was still warm, the flame of life not fully extinguished. It was enough for their primitive cravings.

Whilst the very laws of nature were aching and bending under the pressure of the forces summoned, it was a laughter, entirely devoid of emotion, that finally caught Sanji's attention. It was Ichiji. The only person in the entire room, at least as it seemed, to remain unshaken and perfectly comfortable with these changes.

"Good, Nami, very good. The troupe is ready and the stage is set for the grand finale.", but even though he was still pointing the gun at her head, his eyes were captivated by the ever-changing symbols on and within the circle.

" _O Yog-Sothoth, erhöre das Flehen deiner Getreuen_

 _O Yog-Sothoth, gestatte diesen Tausch_

 _O Yog-Sothoth, gewähre uns deinen Dienern jene unendliche Gnade_

 _O Yog-Sothoth, nimm hin Saft und Seele dieser Frau_

 _O Yog-Sothoth, und gestatte jenem, der den Namen_ _ **Garuda**_ _trägt, die Rückkehr auf diese Ebene des Seins!"_

One might say that it had been increasingly hard to focus once the chanting had begun, but it amounted to nothing when compared with all that shouldn't happen and still manifested itself in these realms. Another wave of nausea crushed over Sanji's head, and only a part of it might still have belonged to the aftermath of the pistol-whipping. Things occurred that should not, should never be, but little did they care about the laws that humanity used to trust.

A large pool of blood gathered in front of Hannah, still spewing out bursting bubbles that gave way for the countless flayed and crippled hands that reached towards what, only a few minutes ago, had been the room's ceiling. After witnessing everything that had transpired, it shouldn't have surprised him that the ceiling had resonated with the powers invoked as well, bending in headache-inducing ways, not only towards the sky, towards the ground but within itself, beating like a heart, growing and shrinking again, feasting on its own parts while simultaneously giving birth to more. Sanji succeeded in forcing himself to look away, as his head felt like it was going to explode from witnessing these impossible things.

It was only by sheer luck (or rather, calamity), that he caught a glimpse of what was happening within the circle. Hannah's blood was boiling, but not laden with bursting bubbles anymore. That didn't change the fact that it seemed to have developed a mind of its own, forming a perfect circle on the ground in an environment that so dramatically had abandoned every geometric form that a human might perceive as 'perfect', or even normal.

A portal between this world and the realms of the dead had finally been established and it didn't take long for the call to reach who, or what, it was looking for within these unspeakable depths.

It was a maimed hand that marked the beginning of the ascension, manifesting itself within her blood. Flayed, crippled and with only a few chunks of flesh still clinging onto charred bone, it was larger than everything that had sprouted from the bubbles, roughly the size of a human's hand. In an astounding show of force, it tore reality apart and subdued the laws of physics, ripping the veil that separated the afterlife from our realm to pieces.

The initially steady pace was beginning to accelerate, and soon the hand was followed by an arm with equally charred bones, adorned with massive chunks of maggot-ridden flesh. Another arm followed and finally, when Sanji caught a glimpse of **who** it was that those arms belonged too, he had to bow his head again, giving way to the rising bile within his throat, spitting it all over his hands.

Name them what you will: Lunatics, maniacs, occultists, madmen, _sorcerers._

It didn't matter. The soul of a person who had consumed so much forbidden knowledge within his life might have been considered fragile within the terms of psychiatrically sophisticated minds, but these exact minds were still bound to human perception and interpretation. None of it mattered here. Contrasting all the poor, sodding souls that had tried to escape the realm from beyond the veil, with their little arms bursting out of bubbles of blood, this particular one was roughly the size of a tall human being, the wide shoulders being a testament to that. With maggot-ridden chunks of flesh and muscle, according to all the laws of this world, it shouldn't have been able to move, specifically not with the strength it was showing whilst tearing apart the portal to accommodate its size. _His_ size.

It wasn't so much the barely recognisable face that forced Sanji to vomit again, even though for every other person, it might as well have been. Only one of its eyes was still being held in the socket, meanwhile his other one had become a nest of some sort for things that might have been centipedes. Centipedes that seemed familiar enough with their home that one of them left the socket, only to make its way into the nose of this horrifically disfigured abomination, just to reappear right out of his his mouth. The sheer sight of something so otherworldly, while still being familiar, took a toll on Sanji's sanity, in the worst way imaginable.

Within seconds, he was vividly reliving the worst of memories. This man, or whatever it was, was responsible for turning his childhood into a nightmare. Sanji had felt nothing when the authorities had informed him that he passed away.

He was back again, even though in a nigh-unrecognisable form. More dead than alive, fuelled by hatred, insanity and the knowledge of forbidden lore. The one thing that stood out in this form was the animalistic mane that had been his hair for all his life. It was unchanged, the same colour as Sanji's, dancing to the impossible tune of an unseen current.

Finally, this wretched spectre, this misbegotten wraith of decades past began to make its move. Malformed hands reached out towards the dying Hannah, aimed at the hands that covered the gashing wound at her throat. The spectre didn't try to remove her hands, the ethereal form didn't even as much as touch her skin. Instead, his hands went right through her, giving away that the seemingly solid form was nothing but an illusion, the pitiful remains of a man who had sold his soul to unspeakable and innumerable devils and demons time and time again. Yet, he had risen to power, or was at least able to keep the remnants of his spirit mostly together, even within the realm of suffering. A shining beacon that lesser spirits clung to in hope of deliverance.

All they received was more pain, like parasites they clung to his foul flesh, still unable to leave their torment behind. Many lost their grip on the soul of his father, screaming out in anguish as they fell back into the endless abyss, others burned away as the wings of Icarus did, clinging too heavily to the sorceror's soul that must have seemed like the sun itself within the lands of the lost.

Sanji wanted to force himself to look away, unconsciously sure that his mind would be torn to pieces of he continued to watch, yet he was unable to take control. Sickness and bile arose again when the wretched spectre's arms followed his hands, sinking into Hannah's cut throat. As impossible as it did seem, it still happened. The rest of his father's ethereal body was following, taking residency within the small frame of the dying woman.

Endless seconds later, the work was done. The bleeding had subsided, as did the sobbing and her silent crying. No silent indictment remained within her face, no despair.

Actually, nothing of Hannah remained within what had been her face, he recognised when she turned it towards Sanji, staring at him with eyes that weren't hers. Nothing of the blue remained, not the liveliness, the warmth that her face emitted.

Because these eyes did no longer belong to her.

These were the eyes of a dead man. Or, at least, of a man who should have been dead. They belonged to none other than Judge Vinsmoke.

Garuda.

"Welcome back, father.", was the last thing he heard before he fainted. The first time since he arrived, there was a trace of emotion within Ichiji's voice. It was pride.


End file.
